The Americas

Aztecs ESPIRIT

E

Main Idea: Aztecs had a state-controlled mixed economy with tribute, markets, commodities use, distribution The population of the Aztec confederation, mainly Tenochtitlan was agriculture dependent They had a long-distance trade controlled by pochteca, they controlled Tlatelolco's great markets. Tropical birds' plumes and cacao beans were luxury items traded Markets were highly regulated and in control by inspectors and special judges. Communities had periodic markets of 5 to 13 days in which goods were exchanged. Cacao beans and gold dust was sometimes used as currency States controlled many commodities use and distribution. They also controlled redistribution vast amounts of tributes from subordinate people. (Tributes like food, slaves,and sacrificial victims) The Aztecs were expanding territory from seven original calpulli/ clans of organizated form with imperial position. They were residing groups. Maized based economy The Aztec Empire had around 20 million people The large region the Aztec ruled

S	Main Idea: The Aztecs had a divided social life with different classes and calpullis. The military was highly prized. Similar to many previous civilization, women were had limited roles in a patriarchy society. Under the process of expansion and conquest, the Aztecs transformed an association of clans to a stratified society authorized by a powerful ruler. Tenochtitlans, the capital was a sacred space and a great metropolis. It was the central zone of palaces and temples surrounded by residential districts and markets. Social classes/ hierarchical in dividing land, where in each communities, clans would apportion land among people, noble, and temples. The redistribution of tributes, rewards its nobility richly and poor far less. Commoners could potentially be promoted but most nobles were born in the classes. Local life was based on calpullis, preformed important functions (distributing land to heads of households, organized labor gangs and wartime military unity, and maintaining temples and schools. Calpullis were governed by councils of family heads but not all families were equal. Calpullis expanded the rule of empires. Prominent families in calpullis dominated leadership roles and formed local nobility by military and administrative nobility. Nobility controlled priesthood and military leadership. The social gulf between nobles and commoners widened and nobility and old calpulli. Pipltins wore special clothes and symbols of rank. (Imperial family) Nobility broke free from calpulli and acquired private lands Military was organized by various ranks based of experience and was highly ritualized. Banners, cloaks, and other insignia marked off military rank. Each groups had distinct uniforms and fought together as units. Military virtues were linked to the cult of sacrifice for the highest eternity reward “Serfs” served the nobility’s private lands they did not control land and worked at others people will, but were above slaves. Scribes, artisans, and healers were an intermediate social group. Long-distance merchants were their own calpulli, but restrictions. Women still unequal in a patriarchy society, primary worked in households with limited social development Marriages were arranged of lineages. Cooked, weaved, child-rearing, teaching passed to future generation Polygamy in nobility and monogamy in peasants Women inherited and passed property. Socially and politically were subordinated.
P	Main Idea: Aztec political life often changed. City-states were governed by councils of nobilitay. In 1325 they founded Tecnochtitlan cities on Lake Island, by 1434; the Aztecs were dominating regional power. Military classes were suppliers of sacrifices with war captives. Rulers used political terror very effectively. Montezuma II dominated state with civil and religious power. Great leader Montezuma II Calpulli distributed land and labor and maintaining temples and schools. Aztec expansion changed socially and politically. There was an absolute ruler Military virtues were elevated to supreme position Local rulers often stayed as tribute collectors. They were governed by councils of unequal family heads. A class of nobilities emerged, becoming the most distinguished calpuli. They controlled the military and priesthood. Each city-state was ruled by a speaker, the Emperor. They were treated like a living god He was elected by his royal family/ siblings The prime minster held tremendous power but usually a close relative to the ruler. There was a governing council and other alliance cities' ruler s had a say in government. *
I	Main Idea: Aztecs often conquered territory. After the fall of the Toltec Empire in 1150, the Aztecs also known as the Mexica migrated to central Mexico’s valley in the early 14th century. Conquered people would lose land and give food as a tribute. The empire collapsed when there was social stress created by the pipltin rise and terror and tribute imposed on subjects They spoke nahuatal, spoken by the Toltecs
R	Main Idea: Aztecs were very religious with many gods and ideas of beliefs and spirituality. Practices like human sacrifice was widely done. It religious practiced of human sacrifice that expanded in cults. Human heart and blood was seen as "precious water" They offered many objects. Aztecs incorporated many features of Mesoamerican belief system. It was vast, uniting and sometimes oppressive force. There was little distinction with worlds of gods and natural order. Rain, fire, water, corn, the sky, and the sun gods worshiped. Each god had five aspects associated with cardinal directions and center Certain gods were patrons of specific cities, ethnic groups or occupations. A basic duality in all things, there were 128 major deities. There were three major divisions: the gods of fertility with agricultural cycle, maize, and water. Tlaloc, god of rain The gods Tonatiuth sun warrior god and Tescatlipoca night sky god were among the most powerful. They were creator deities the second group. The gods of warfare and sacrifice like Huitziloponchtli were the final group. Human sacrifice was expanded to unprecedented scale. It was symbolism and ritual like cannibalism with sacrifices. The great temple of Tenochtitlan was dedicated to Huitzilopitchli and Tlaloc. All aspects of life were infused religious symbolism. Aztecs religion was polytheism, but also had a sense of spiritual unity. Nezhualcoyotl, Texcoco king embraced it and wrote poetry about life after death and the existence of gods.
I	Main Idea: The Aztecs intellectual were mainly based around religion and some with art The Aztecs spoke Naltuatl Aztecs believed that the world has been destroying before in their cyclical, fatalistic view of history. Aztecs had a complex mythology that explains the birth and history of gods and their relations to humans Mesoamerican calendars systems were created for many ceremonies to coincide with particular points. Where influenced by early empires mainly the Toltecs like art. Religious art and poetry were filled with images of flowers, birds.
T	Main Idea: Technology was both beneficial in agriculture but showed limited development There were many traditional agricultures forms and innovations. They developed a system of irrigating agriculture. Built chinampas, artificial floating islands, of beds of aquatic weeds, mud, and earth in frames of cane and rooted to a lake floor from 17 feet long to 100 to 330 feet wide. It permitting the harvest of high-yield multiple yearly crops by allowing water to reach all plants. Chinampas Aztec peasants supplied the basic foods through production and tribute. Technology of the Americas limited social development Stone boards, metates was used to grind corn.

Summary: After the fall of the Toltecs Empire, the Aztecs migrate to this region of central Mexico valley The Aztecs economy was a state-controlled economy.The Aztecs had long- distance trade controlled by pochtecas. The Aztecs had dominance in regional power. The capital, Tenochtitlans became a central of the civilizations, it was a sacred place and great metropolis. The Aztecs had a type of hierarchy with the top being imperial family and the bottom being slaves. There was a class for long-distance traders, peasants/serfs, and artisan, scribes, and healers made up an intermediate one. Local life was based on calpullis/ clans.There was limited social development especially in women. They were subordinate to men and primarily worked in the household. The military was often highly valued. there was a social gulf between social classes. The Aztecs widely religiously practiced human sacrificed were war captives were those sacrificed. The people would join cults. It was at unprecedented scale, since it seen as symbolic and the only way to please there gods. They incorporated Mesoamerican belief system with three major divisions in gods. Aztecs also embraced a sense of spiritual unity. They created agriculture forms and innovations to feed the Aztec confederation. Technology also showed the limited social development of the Americas/ Aztecs.Mesoamerican calenders where created by Aztecs for ceremonies to coincide with different points. There were not many intellectual advances. Calipullis, councils from head of family govern regions. The empire fell after social stresses.

Incas ESPIRIT

E	The Incas, consisted of a large population of 9 to 13 million people. The Incas emphasized a self-sufficiency ad state management government The state was strong until it lost its peoples and government mechanisms They did not have much trade Map of Inca Empire
S	Incas were of different ethnic background and languages. Incas incorporated many aspects of previous Andean culture. Local resources were divided up for the people, state, and church. Women were of low status, served as temple servants or concubines for Inca. They would take care of the household. Ayllus would control each community in the hopes that it is self-sufficient. Peasants and herders were most men Andean people were recognized as parallel descent, property would pass both lines. Idea of sex complementarily was strong men were dominant since they emphasized on military virtue. Cosmology reflected Gender Corporation, with the moon. There were social classes: Men’s power showed selection for state and temple purposes. Inca nobility had special privileges and were distinguished by dress and custom There was no distinct merchant class.
P	In expansion, a political ruler would use “spilt inheritance”. Their power would go their successor and all the wealth and land passed to male descendants for eternal support of the dead ruler’s mummy’s cult. It created justification for endless expansion. God was consider ruler of the empire It was divided into four provinces with a governor for each. Incas had bureaucracy mostly of nobility. Local rulers, Curacas would continue to serve in return for loyalty and were exempted from tribute and was given labor or produce from their subjects. Integrated imperial policy with regional diversity, as reciprocity. Royal multiple marriages forged alliances, eventually created rival claimants for power and civil war.
I	Main Idea: There was war between rival groups for these lands, the Incas won. The Incas further extended there territory. After the states of Tihuanaco and Huari and Chimor, the Uncas developed a new civilization after 13th century in the Andes region. Several smaller regional states continued to exercise some power, they continued to be important of agricultural activity and population density. There was a war period of rival local chiefdoms and small states/New of Incas groups fought for supremacy: Many Quechua-speaking clans around Cuzco won control over Huari. In 1438, Incas, Parchacuti begins to campaign and controlled Cuzco and the shores of lake Titicaca. His son Topac Yuanqui (1471- 1493) conquered Chimor extending the Inca Empire to Ecuador and the Chilean's Maule river. Huayna Capac conquered and suppress rebellions on the frontier, the Inca Empire was called Twantinsuyu Colombia to Chile and eastwards across Lake Titicaca and Bolivia to northern Argentina. The conquered people provided the land and labor. They served also served in the military to get reward for new conquest.
R	The religious meaning is influential to Political and social life The highest deity was the sun. The Inca ruler was on earth as god’s representation. The sun was the highest deity State religious centers like the Temple of the Sun at Cuzco existed Local gods were still worshiped but the sun cult spread throughout the Empire Natural phenomenal endowed animism with spiritual power based popular belief. Holy Shrines, huancas were offered for prayers and sacrifices under ayllus authority were grouped. These temples were served by women and priests.
I	They were influenced and did not created intellectual advancements Where influenced from early civilizations, the Chimors Men were educated in Cuzco. The Quechua language was used for colonists, mitmaqs, and important techniques for integrating the empire in forceful transfers of people Complex systems of roads, bridges, and causeways with way stations, tambos, and storehouse was for military movement
T	They produced beautiful pottery and cloth. They one of the most advanced in the making of their metallurgy. They used knotted strings for accounts and enumeration, since they lacked wheel and a writing system. They peaked in statecraft and architecture They built some great stone buildings, agricultural terraces, irrigation projects, and road system. The state would organize building and irrigation project.

Summary: The Incas fought supremacy Quecha- speaking rival tribes.They were self-reliant and had state management, so they did not have much trade. Women were regularly of lower class then men, through in Andrean people there were of parallel decent. Men were seen dominant over women for the fact that men had military skills. There were social classes between merchants, peasants, and nobilty. The Incas believed that god was the virtual leader, they followed bureaucracy. The bureaucracy was if most nobility, this implies that most people stayed in their social/ born into their social class. The Empire was divided into four regions, each of region being ruled by a governor. Many leaders sought out expansion using split inheritance. The Incas had political marriages to unite nations together. It created justification for endless expansion.They saw the sun as the highest deipty in religion. They had holy shrines where people who prayer and sacrifice under ayllus authority. They were influenced by early civilizations but did not flourish in intellectual advancements. They flourished in statecrafts and architecture. The Incas created great stone buildings, agricultural terraces, irrigation projects, and roads system.